Is a Gibson Les Paul Standard worth it?

Yes, the Gibson Les Paul Standard is definitely worth it! For starters, it’s one of the most iconic guitars of all time and has been played on countless classic albums. For many, the Les Paul Standard is their holy grail guitar. The Gibson Les Paul is still handmade in the USA to an extremely high standard and has a gloriously rich, smooth tone that can’t be matched.

What's the difference between a Les Paul Standard and a Les Paul Classic?

The Gibson Les Paul Standard is an old-school Les Paul, essentially replicating the iconic instruments of the 50s and 60s. They have chunky necks, high grade maple tops and the highest spec pickups. The Gibson Les Paul Classic is an altogether more modern beast. It has a Slim Taper neck and push/pull electronics for a wide range of different tones including Pure Bypass and Phase Inversion. The Gibson Les Paul Classic uses plainer maple tops and slightly cheaper pickups.

When did Gibson start making the Les Paul Standard?

The Gibson Les Paul was introduced in 1952 and was the first solid body electric guitar Gibson ever made. It looked slightly different to what we know of a Les Paul today, with single coil ‘P90’ pickups and a floating trapeze bridge. By 1957, the Les Paul Standard had introduced PAF humbuckers. Really though, it’s the instruments from 1958-1960 that define the Gibson Les Paul Standard.